Yes, Kevin, I did recount that story -- as one of the many Boston/Cambridge activities Clemens and Twichell took part in after their famous  "walk" to Boston (that devolved into a train ride -- and into a successful PR stunt for M.T.).

Mrs. Sargent's book and the relevant pages can be perused here:

https://tinyurl.com/yct4bqrz

Cheers,
Steve

Steve Courtney
Curatorial Special Projects
The Mark Twain House & Museum
351 Farmington Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut 06105
860-302-8969


________________________________________
From: Mark Twain Forum [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Kevin Mac Donnell [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2017 10:16 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: "Transmigration of souls" -- and epochs and bodies

For transmigration of souls, yes. There is an account of Twain's reaction to
a discussion on the topic at a meeting of the Radical Club on Nov 16, 1874
that is recorded on pages 186-187 of Mrs John T. Sargent's SKETCHES AND
REMINISCENCES OF THE RADICAL CLUB (Boston, 1880). Twain attended the meeting
with Joe Twichell, who I think was Sargent's source for the details of the
conversation between Twain and Twichell which took place on the street as
they left the meeting that evening.  If I recall correctly, Twain said that
if the doctrine was true that he'd inherited a tired or worn out soul
himself.  Mrs Sargent was the widow of the Unitarian minister (1807-1877)
who'd founded the club in 1867. I have not looked lately, but there may be
information on this in Steve Courtney's biography of Twichell, or elsewhere.

Kevin
@
Mac Donnell Rare Books
9307 Glenlake Drive
Austin TX 78730
512-345-4139
Member: ABAA, ILAB
*************************
You may browse our books at:
www.macdonnellrarebooks.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Davis
Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2017 8:41 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: "Transmigration of souls" -- and epochs and bodies

I'm re-reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and enjoying it
once again after having first read it decades ago.

This line, near the beginning, is still striking:

"You know about transmigration of souls; do you know about transposition of
epochs--and bodies?"

Does anyone on-list know of additional background for SLC to have been
exposed to, and prompted to, thinking about such abstruse doctrines? Hardly
everyday stuff!?

Thanks,

DDD